Introduction of Patient's Guide on Hospital Safety and Security

A crucial element of the dimension of quality within a hospital is how safe and secure a facility is. Patients enter a hospital and feel vulnerable as their lives are in the hands of the healthcare professionals. Therefore, the only concern they should have in a hospital is how they are going to recover from a condition, and not have to worry about their safety. It is the responsibility of the management of the facility to implement proper protocols to ensure the complete protection and security of all the patients in their care.

The hospital building

The hospital building- A number of aspects depend on the kind of building in which the hospital is run. While inspecting the hospital building, you should evaluate the following factors.

    •    The facilities for handicapped individuals (or patients under treatment who are not completely recovered and require assistance in physical activities). Although it is among the basic facilities that most hospitals are expected to offer, in some cases hospitals lack facilities for the handicapped. While checking the facilities available for the physically challenged, you must check on the readiness of the hospital to handle emergencies that demand the evacuation of handicapped patients.

    •    While inspecting the building, you must evaluate the kind of hygiene maintained in the entire hospital premises. Hospital hygiene is required because a low level of hygiene may lead to various infectious diseases. It is also important to assess the surrounding location of the hospital.

    •    Check if the hospital has a sound security system, including guards on duty and an electronic alarm system to ensure the patient will remain in a secure environment. Read more about security at a hospital within this section. 

Patient identification, the entire process

Patient identification, the entire process

One must ensure that the hospital has a very sound patient identification system. This is vital for the proper treatment of the person who is ill. Some cases of misidentification of patients and the resultant failure in proper treatment have been reported from different parts of the world. The result of such mistakes can be life-threatening and even fatal. The problem is that often patients are shifted from one unit to the other and see different physicians within different departments as part of the treatment process. For the duration of the treatment process, you should be made to carry a unique identification sign so that you are only subjected to treatments designed specifically for you.

The same holds true in the case of post-operative treatments and diagnostic and pathological services. There are high chances of pathological reports carrying improper names or doctors getting confused due to similar names. Any such mistake will not only cause havoc to the patient but can also be life threatening. There should not be any confusion regarding the identity of patients. 

Communication and language issues in hospital

Communication plays a very important role in various steps of the treatment procedure. Often in the case of medical tourism patients hail from different parts of the world. For this reason the patient may experience a communication gap with doctors and the hospital administration. But smooth communication is very important at both ends for an effective treatment procedure. Patients must ensure that the hospital authorities offer all information in a language that you understand or offer translator services. But if there is any gap in understanding the language then often information can get misinterpreted and this can lead to chaos.

There needs to be a healthy two-way communication between patients and doctors. The doctor will instruct you on certain guidelines and it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions for the betterment of your health. It is part of the healthcare system that you understand the instructions given by the doctor. The same holds true when you need to sign medical or legal documents with the hospital authorities.  As a patient, you will need to be made aware of all the clauses stipulated in the agreement.

You must not be constrained by the barriers of language while expressing your doubts and worries. On the other hand, the authorities and the hospitals must be ready to engage in extensive dialogue with you, to ensure you fully comprehend all matters related to your agreement. To cater to the queries of the patient is part of the duty of the hospital authorities. If this condition is not met, you are obligated to lodge a complaint against the concerned authorities.

Lastly, you must ensure that all the papers concerning the course of the treatment, billing and other consent letters, must be put down in writing. The hospital authorities may also provide electronic documents in some circumstances.